Unleash Your Inner Dog

By Lisa Spector, Canine Music Expert, Juilliard Graduate, and co-creator of Through a Dog’s Ear.

Camp isn’t just for kids anymore. While camps for people of all ages have grown in popularity in recent years, camp isn’t just for humans either. Camp Unleashed, for dogs and their people, is a retreat in a gorgeous, nature setting where dogs enjoy the company of other dogs, and people get to learn to think like a dog. While dogs enjoy a few days of unleashed time, people also discover the freedom and joy in bonding with their dog without the restriction of a leash. Camp Unleashed presents retreats for people and their dogs to deepen their relationship through education and organized play in an experience designed to be transformational for both species.

In 2004, Annie Brody founded Camp Unleashed on the premise that dogs need a vacation from the human world – a place where they can be off leash, safe, and in a pack with other dogs in their own natural environment. A few months back, I was asked by Annie if I would consider being the local director of the first Camp Unleashed on the West Coast. I knew of Annie’s work and of her passion to help provide a safe place in nature for dogs to be off leash, with other social dogs, while bonding with their people. For eight years, she had been doing that on the East Coast in the Berkshires (MA), and had recently opened her second location in Asheville, NC. Now she was wanting to come west. I was honored to accept her offer.

Annie and I share similar missions of wanting to improve the lives of dogs and their people. While Through a Dog’s Eardonates music to shelters, Camp Unleashed gives camp scholarships to shelter and rescue dogs. Last year Camp Unleashed gave a full scholarship to a shelter volunteer who brought a shelter dog to camp. The dog was adopted shortly after camp. This year Camp Unleashed Asheville is having a Shelter Dog Contest, awarding a full scholarship to a lucky person who has adopted their dog from a shelter or rescue organization. Oh, what a lucky dog that will be!

Next: Win a scholarship to Camp Unleashed

Speaking of contests, Dogster recently announced a contest for a full scholarship to any of the three camp locations ~ Berkshires, MA, Asheville, NC, or Sequoia Lake, CA. The directors of the three camps (including myself) will be judging the contest. In reading the comments posted so far, it’s going to be a very challenging decision. Any Care2 readers want to enter the contest? Simply go to the Dogster blog and post a comment as to why you think you and your dog deserve to win. You can also post your comment below, but to be a qualified contestant, you’ll need to also post it on Dogster.